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Damson - What we're watching... #3

Supernatural has been around for quite a while. It's coming up to it's 15th, and final season, so we thought it seems like a good time to talk about why you should be watching it.

We've got to be honest, after seeing the show grow from a baby into a teenager we will be really sad to see it go. Yes, 15 seasons is a long, long time to stick around, and at times it seemed like they were running out of storylines but they always seemed to pull it out of the bag.

WHAT'S SUPERNATURAL ABOUT?

It's a horror/action/adventure series, following two brothers (The Winchester's) who are monster hunters. Over the course of over 300 episodes, other themes have been introduced, such as Angels, Demons, God, Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. Despite all of these storyline factors, we think the thing that has kept Supernatural's fan base so loyal is the central relationship between Sam and Dean Winchester.

WHO'S IN SUPERNATURAL?

The main characters, Sam and Dean, are played with amazing chemistry by real-life best friends Jared Padalecki and Jenson Ackles. They anchor the show so well, and when they inevitably move on to other projects once this has finished, it will be really strange not to see them on-screen together. Along the way they've been ably supported by Jeffrey Morgan as their Father, Jim Beaver as their mentor and confidant Bobby, and more importantly Misha Collins as the Angel Castiel, who to be honest is more like the third lead character now. Watching it back, you will spot some people who have gone on to have huge careers in TV, such as Katy Cassidy, Lauren Cohan and Mark Pellegrino (Arrow, The Walking Dead, Lost etc). Basically, the casting is, and always has been incredible.

IS IT SCARY?

We wouldn't say scary, but there are definitely some creepy elements and you'll definitely jump a few times, especially in the earlier episodes when it has more of a "monster of the week" format. Rumour has it that this format was changed once producers saw the chemistry between Jared and Jensen, and changed the series to focus more on them. The overall tone of Supernatural is heavily influenced by older horror movies, such as Poltergeist, An American Werewolf in London and Evil Dead II. You can definitely understand the Evil Dead references because despite not seeming it from the outside, Supernatural can be very funny at times. The introduction of Christian mythology took the series further away from the scares, but opened up a lot more storyline potential, and is probably one of the main reasons it's gone on as long as it has.

When Supernatural first came on to our screens, creator Eric Kripke planned on a 5 year run for the show, which is pretty normal. When the end of Season 5 came and wrapped things up with a nice grand, climactic send-off, many people thought that was that. But then it kept going, and going, and going, and now we are where we are. Not only is SuperNatural the longest continuously running US SFF TV show in history (only beaten in the UK by Doctor Who), but the fact that that for all this time, it has been anchored by the same two lead actors is astonishing.

If you're a Supernatural super-fan and about to dive into the final series, let's enjoy the ride one last time. If you are new to Supernatural, block out your calendar for a LONG time and get caught up. With over 300 episodes so far, there's plenty to get through! But we know you'll enjoy every second.

It's hard to believe another series will be made with the longevity that Supernatural has had. We're so grateful for it for all these years.